Own A New iPhone? Do This Before Going To Six Flags Great Escape

Have you bought the new iPhone 14 yet? While there isn’t too much difference between the new model and the 13, many users are excited about the new, better camera. If you’re in a rush to take yours out into Upstate New York and capture fall memories, there’s probably one place first responders might not want to take it just yet.

If you’re planning a weekend trip to Lake George for Six Flags Great Escape’s Fright Fest and you have an iPhone 14, you may want to make a change. 911 dispatchers have been receiving emergency calls from theme parks across the country for those with new Apple products.

Cause For Alarm?

Apple

The iPhone 14 comes with a new feature called Crash Detection. Using gyroscopic sensors and the phone’s built-in accelerometer, the new iPhone will automatically detect a sudden, violent stop or a sudden rollover along with other signs of a serious auto accident. But as thrill seekers are finding, a car crash isn’t the only thing that can set off the detector.

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Apparently by your second loop, or possibly third corkscrew, your iPhone 14 starts to get really worried about you. The Wall Street Journal reports 911 dispatchers across the nation have been receiving automated calls from iPhones reporting severe car crashes that direct them to the Longitude and Latitude of the phone’s current location – theme parks across America.

Don't Phone It In

Crash Detection does give the user a 20 second window to cancel an emergency call, but your iPhone would likely experience a real-life accident if you decide to open it mid-thrill-ride. The feature is also expanded to the new Apple Watch 8, but it can only contact 911 if a paired iPhone is nearby or it’s connected to mobile data.

The feature can be disabled through the phone’s settings menu under “Emergency SOS.” Find Crash Detection and flip the toggle switch off. Of course, 99 times out of 100 this feature could be an actual lifesaver, so if you just want it off temporarily for a ride simply turn airplane mode on.